Inside the course: The Old Course at St. Andrews

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The Old Course at St. Andrews will host its 28th British Open this year.

Jul. 12, 2010
By PGA TOUR Staff

The TOUR heads in two directions this week -- one group to Reno, Nev. and the other group over to Scotland for the British Open at St. Andrews. Here's all you need to know about the Old Course at St. Andrews.

Fast facts

Contributing architects	Daw Anderson (1850s), Old Tom Morris (1860s- 1900), Alister Mackenzie (1930s).
Number of British Opens as host venue	28 (including 2010)
Yardage	7,305 yards (2010)
Sand bunkers	112
Water hazards	1
Course tour	Click here

Course record

Player
Bradley Dredge
Mikko Ilonen

Year
2006
2009

Round
1st
2nd

Finish
2nd
T26

Course origins

Golf has been played in some form at St. Andrews since the 15th century. The course started as a public gathering place (like a park) where pepole participated in a number of activities, one of which was golf. Without an architecht for the majority of its history, the Old Course has evolved more than it has been designed. From its early days with 22 holes, a lot has changed, but many of the course's unique features (like its seven double greens) remain.

The "Home of Golf" saw some changes in 1764, when four of its holes were combined into two, reducing the length of a round from 22 holes to 18 -- nine out and nine in. This 18-hole format became the accepted layout for golf played all over the world. The Old Course hosted its first Open Championship in 1873, and this year's event will mark the 28th time the Old Course will host a British Open.